In The Godfather Part II, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, there is a scene during which Michael Corleone’s sister Connie pleads with Michael to make amends with his brother Fredo for Fredo’s sake, since their mother has just died and Fredo “is so sweet and helpless without [Michael]” (The Godfather Part II).
During this scene, the camera angle on Connie is slightly high angle, which is an angle that creates a sense of vulnerability. This angle makes sense because she clearly acts very vulnerably toward Michael when she begs him to forgive Fredo. She even admits that she understands that while they have not always seen eye-to-eye, that Michael was “just being strong for [the family]” (The Godfather Part II).
In contrast, Michael sits in a chair and is filmed at eye level. While this angle is usually used to make the audience feel more comfortable with the character, Michael’s stern expression and and physically looking down upon Connie creates a slight feeling of dominance and power on his part.
The shots of both Connie and Michael in this scene are close-ups, for only their faces and shoulders are visible. This allows the audience to more clearly observe the characters’ emotions, which is necessary in this scene because of the tensions that exist between Michael and Connie, and Connie’s vulnerable and pathetic state.
